The End of a Savior Complex
by Dark Roswellian Angel
Summary: When Alec finds out that Max has been hurt, he reacts unexpectedly. How does he respond?
1. Stalking Prey

Title: The End of a Savior Complex

Author: Dark Roswellian Angel

Elizabeth McDowell

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it. If I did, Alec would have been treated much better. In fact, if I owned "Dark Angel" I'd be treating him better right now instead of just writing about him ; P

Copying/Downloading/Posting: Please let me know first, and let me know where my work will be posted as I would love to come visit it. Make sure that it is put under my name, as I would love to hear how others feel about it. Thanks ;)

Rating: T

Synopsis: When Alec finds out that Max has been hurt, he reacts unexpectedly. How does he respond?

A/N: I've never tried writing this emotion before, so I don't know if I did a decent job. Hope you enjoy :)

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When he first heard, he was furious. He'd never actually been furious before. Angry yes. Extremely angry, as a matter of fact. And he'd been in more than his fair share of fights. Usually caused by him spending time with some female that he shouldn't have. So being mad was not a new sensation for him. But he'd never felt this overwhelming rush of pure, unadulterated rage before.

"Where is he?" he ground out. His senses were nearly humming.

The fact that his voice was almost an octave lower than normal caught her attention, and she realized her mistake as soon as she looked up at him. "You heard the part where she's gonna be fine, right? That she's gonna be up an' about in no time? That there ain't gonna be no problems and she's gonna be able to knock whatever thoughts is goin' on in yo' fool head right out faster than you can knock a can offa Normal's butt?" She looked into his eyes and saw a dangerous glint. "You ai'ight, shugga?"

She'd never realized before just how feline he could be. But now with his upper lip curled back, and his teeth nearly snarling, the cat DNA in his cocktail was unmistakable. And was he growling? As she looked up at him, he seemed to take a step towards her.

"Where. Is. He?" He nearly growled. His subconscious beginning to take over, he took another step towards her. His approach was almost predatory, and she could feel the heat radiating from him.

Unconsciously, she took a step back. She knew that she didn't need to worry about him hurting her. But she was beginning to worry about the safety of the _him_ he was referring to. "He's gone back ta his place. He's gonna get some supplies, an' then he's gonna head on back to our place." Even as shocked as she was, she couldn't help giving him an assessing look. She knew that things had changed between them. Recently as a matter of fact. _But who woulda thought that he'd be so hung up on her that her danger would twist him like this? Just how deep is his feelin's for her? For that matta how deep is her feelin's for this fine-lookin' boy standin' in fronta me now?_ Her thoughts were interrupted by his reaction to her answer.

"He left her?!" His scream was almost primal. "She's just been shot! She almost died because of _him_, and he leaves her there?!" His fury actually turned up a notch, and for a split second he wondered if it was possible to be burned by your own anger. If it was, he knew who he'd be taking with him.

OC quickly scanned the occupants of Jam Pony, wondering just how many of them could hear their discussion. Her scan turned back exactly what she was afraid of- all eyes were on them. Even Normal was looking at him as though he'd gotten his head beat too many times in the ring. As she looked back into his eyes, she took a shallow swallow. She'd never seen this emotion on this young man's face before, or any person's face for that matter. It was more animal than human. Even knowing that it wasn't really directed towards her, even knowing that she wasn't really in any danger, his darkened eyes evoked fear in her.

Attempting to defuse the situation, the girl almost put her hand on his shoulder, then thought better of it. Wounded, scared, and angry animals sometimes swipe at people, even those they would normally consider friends. And right now he was resembling one of them much more than the heartbreaking man he was usually. Still, she wanted to help, so she opened her mouth, only nothing came out. After a moment spent collecting herself, the normally calm and confident girl was barely able to get out, "She's fine. He wouldn'ta left her if she wasn't. He just called ta-" her voice gave out as the young man in front of her shook his head dismissively while narrowing his eyes to slits. As he turned around and stalked out, she began to wonder if she should call and warn someone.


	2. The Reason

Title: The End of a Savior Complex

Author: Dark Roswellian Angel

Elizabeth McDowell

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it. If I did, Alec would have been treated much better. In fact, if I owned "Dark Angel" I'd be treating him better right now instead of just writing about him ; P

Copying/Downloading/Posting: Please let me know first, and let me know where my work will be posted as I would love to come visit it. Make sure that it is put under my name, as I would love to hear how others feel about it. Thanks ;)

Rating: T

Synopsis: When Alec finds out that Max has been hurt, he reacts unexpectedly.

A/N: I've never tried writing this emotion before, so I don't know if I did a decent job. Hope you enjoy :)

A/N 2: So, I went to the David Foster & Friends (Groban, Buble, Cetera, Bocelli, Kenny G, plus like 15 more big stars) concert last night- it was totally amazing, even if I was in the nosebleed section. I just wanted to say how grateful I am that there are people out there who have such amazing talents and who are willing to share them with the rest of the world. And a big shout-out to all of you writers who, like them, are willing to share your work- I heard a quote (no idea who said it) "writers start out as readers who, finding that the story they truly want to read has not been written yet, must write it themselves." I think that pretty much sums it up. Oh, one more thing- did everybody else already know that Michael Buble is engaged to Amy Foster? 'Cause he announced it on stage last night while he was singing with her dad (who was playing the piano to accompany him), but I wasn't sure if that was the first time it had been announced (tears up). I'm happy for them, but sad for all the rest of us girls. Anyway, I think that's enough of this for now. If it hasn't made any sense, blame it on the fact that I didn't even get home until almost 2 this morning and am exhausted.

A/N 3: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this so far. I really wasn't sure if I was doing a halfway decent job with it. I really appreciate the reassurances. Special thanks to MythStar Black Dragon, PurpleSpinx, s2 dean alec jensen, Myth87, Jabberwocky1, darkaznangel452, p3karen, CMT1992, Chica De Los Ojos Cafe, and grayceq.

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2- The Reason

As he stormed down the street, people anxiously skittered out of his way. He was vaguely aware of the fact that he probably shouldn't be talking to himself. Especially when he was this out of control. And it wasn't exactly as though he were filtering what he was saying. But just as he was about to try to calm down, his thoughts centered back on the reason that he was in this state. _Him and his damn saviour complex could have gotten her killed._ He realized that she wouldn't be pleased if he accidentally let out something that could expose them all. But he dismissed this idea. After all, if she had died, he wasn't sure if he would care if he were exposed. If she were dead, he didn't think he'd especially care how he spent the rest of his life- years in a dank cell where he was tortured periodically, or shot through the head ending his life quickly. In fact, if she were dead, he was pretty sure he'd prefer to follow her as soon as possible.

He wasn't sure when it had started or how it had happened, but somehow she had become his reason. For everything. She was the reason he got up in the morning and went to his lame job. She was the reason that he hung out with Ordinaries, even though some of them had become good friends. She was the reason he had returned to Seattle, yet again. She was the reason that he went on Eyes Only missions, even if he did actually enjoy knowing that he was helping people. She was the reason that he had finally started seeing himself as part of something bigger- not just a military unit but a family, one that he was willing to do anything to protect. She was the reason he was changing into the kind of person he wanted to be. The kind of person who could possibly, one day, be worthy of her. And so when he thought about the possibility that she wouldn't be there when he was finally the man he was becoming, he panicked. And the thought that the man responsible for the threat to her life was blithely walking around, leaving her unprotected when she was still vulnerable, thinking nothing of the precarious position she was in, and probably congratulating himself on saving her in the first place, had him seeing red.

As he continued his thought patterns, he didn't realize that his posture had changed. If people took the time to actually look at him instead of quickly looking away and nearly running down the street away from him, they would have realized that he was now walking more like a feral cougar tracking its prey than a man. His eyes darted from side-to-side, taking in everything but focusing on nothing, intent upon finding its target. You could practically see his tail twitching. He was so preoccupied that he didn't even notice that he had gone into full military mode- he was skilled in Seek and Destroy, and even though he knew where his mark was, he wasn't going to take any chances of missing him. As he approached the high rise, he began to imagine the feeling of the Ordinary's neck in his hands as they tightened inch by delicious inch. A deadly smile crossed his features.

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Sorry, that's it for now. I'm exhausted. I'm going out of town, so it's going to be a while until I'm able to update my other fics, but I promise I'll get the next chapter for this fic up within the next couple of days. And it will be longer than this one. In the meantime, I'd love to hear what you think so far.


	3. How Dare You

Title: The End of a Savior Complex

Author: Dark Roswellian Angel

Elizabeth McDowell

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it, but I get dibs on Jensen ; P

Copying/Downloading/Posting: Please let me know first, and let me know where my work will be posted as I would love to come visit it. Make sure that it is put under my name, as I would love to hear how others feel about it. Thanks ;)

Rating: T

Synopsis: When Alec finds out that Max has been hurt, he reacts unexpectedly.

A/N: I've never tried writing this emotion before, so I don't know if I did a decent job. Hope you enjoy :)

A/N 2: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. Especially to any and all repeat reviewers. You help make this fun.

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3- How Dare You

When the pounding began, the older man sighed unhappily. Why was someone bothering him right now? He needed to get back. He had finally made a step in the right direction with her, and he didn't want to lose the momentum. Putting some bandages in his bag, he turned around and began walking towards the door. But before he was able to get to it, the door was blown off its hinges. He didn't even have time to realize that he should react before two inhumanly strong arms had him propped up three feet in the air and then pushed against a wall. The pain in his throat was immense as he looked down at his attacker and was surprised to see two extremely familiar hazel eyes glaring at him.

"You. You could have gotten her killed! She almost died. Because you were too busy riding your high horse to actually help her. To get the help that would have saved her without causing more damage. Without putting her in more danger. Without her having to save herself!" Alec could feel his lips curling back into a snarl and tried to swallow the urge to kill the damn Ordinary where he was. But he had more to say to the waste of skin. "You were thinking of yourself and your damn need to be her hero and you weren't even thinking of how easy it could be for someone else to help her. No, you had to make things difficult and dramatic and screw everything up royally just because you needed to hear how you were the one who saved her. You bastard!!" As he spoke, he became even angrier, being hit yet again with how close he'd come to losing her. He could feel his fingers becoming tighter, and as the older man unsuccessfully attempted to free himself, he could feel a deeper part of himself gleam with satisfaction.

"How'd it happen, huh? How'd she get hurt in the first place? Was it one of your damn Eyes Only missions? One of your save-the-world-so-I-can-feel-better-about-myself jobs? How'd you guilt her into it this time? Playing the old- if you don't help the world, then you're a worthless piece of garbage card yet again? Telling her that because she isn't actually human, she owes it to her makers' race to help them get out of whatever mess they've gotten into this time? You prejudice, self-centered, self-righteous bigot!!" He let go of the man's neck with one hand so that he could punch him in the stomach. As he felt the man react, he smiled a little more, though it looked more as though he were baring his teeth.

"You don't even get it, do you. That you actually endangered her life more than helped her. But you couldn't ask for help, could you. You went so far as to make sure that you didn't tell anyone else what was going on just in case someone else tried to help her and took away some of your glory. Do you have any idea how easy it would have been for me to go in there and get her out? No one would have been the wiser. No one would have figured anything out. And if they had, she would have been long gone. She wouldn't have had to fight for her life _twice_ after being shot, probably on one of your fool missions. And I wouldn't have cared if she thanked me or you. All that matters is her safety." A second punch went to the man's face.

"Now, get this, Mr. Great-and-Powerful Eyes Only. If you ever, _ever_ put her at risk again just because you need your ego stroked, _I. Will. Kill. You_." For good measure, he used a strategy that he had been taught through example when he was younger, and simply touched the other man's arm. Unbelievable pain shot through it, making the man twitch and feel as though he were about to gag. "And it will be one of the most painful deaths you or I could ever imagine. You got that?" He waited in vain for the other man to respond. When he realized that his words weren't getting through the other man's thick skull, he attempted a different route.

"You know, one day she'll catch on. She's not as slow as you like to tell yourself. She'll catch on to the fact that you're just keeping her back. That you're doing everything you can to keep her down, to keep her from realizing just how wonderful she is, and then she'll probably come here and give you a great big hug to thank you for just how screwed up you've tried to make her. And I won't be there to give you another transfusion and save your miserable life," his eyes glinted with apparent approval of the forthcoming situation.

Through the lack-of-oxygen-induced haze, the other man was barely able to register the younger man's words. He tried to move his head in response, but getting nowhere, he attempted to get words past the viselike hold on his throat. It came out as more of a garbled mumble.

"What was that?"

"Mmmff… mff."

Against his better judgment, the handsome man released his hold just enough to let a little bit of oxygen and a bit more voice come through. When the other man simply gasped in air and seemed to try to get more comfortable, he lost his patience and began tightening his grip again.

Realizing that he was about to lose gainful usage of his air passageway again, the dizzy man quickly got out. "I said, it's not like you were there for the last transfusion anyway." As he still had use of his airway, he decided to press the advantage, "She'll never turn to you, you know. No matter what you tell yourself. She'll always see you for exactly what you are- a bunch of messed up DNA, a screw-up, a psychotic murderer who's trying to hide the fact that he's exactly like his insane serial killer twin brother. But she sees right through the act. She'll never accept you."

As his heart reeled from the tone of truth in the statement, the young man reflexively strengthened his hold on the other man. "It doesn't matter whether she accepts me or not as long as she realizes how wonderful she is and that she doesn't need you. As long as she recognizes your pathetic attempts to make yourself feel better about yourself for what they are, that your need to repent for having money is the only reason that you help people, that all your digs on us and our kind are because you know we're better than you. As long as she understands that she doesn't need you, that she's more important than you'll ever be, that she deserves better, that she can make it on her own, and that she is worthy of and will always have people who love and care about her and are willing to treat her right, then I don't care how she feels about me." He wondered if the dipstick Ordinary would buy the lie. He wondered if his heart would ever believe it.

Even as the world began to spin around him, the bespectacled (though currently those were resting haphazardly on the floor) man was able to form an ugly grimace. "Li-ar. I've seen… the way you look… at her. She's… a-ll that matters… to you. And she'll… never be yours. We-e belong… together…" as he finished his statement, he found his airway completely blocked.

As he watched the other man's eyes fade to unconsciousness, and he carefully counted down from four before backing off of the man's windpipe and propping him up against the wall, he turned his mind off so that he wouldn't have to hear those painful words echo in his head. For good measure, he also tried to turn off all access to his heart- emotions were just a weakness anyway, right? But he wasn't quite as successful with protecting himself emotionally. Still, he pretended (to himself as no one else was conscious in the room) that he'd been able to. "Whatever." As he turned and retraced his steps through the damaged apartment, he bore a self-satisfied smile. Especially when he heard the other man's body slide down into an undignified pile.

* * *

A/N 3: So that was the first physical altercation of the fic. I'm not sure if there are going to be anymore. Let me know if you liked it and would be interested in more, and I'll see if I've got more of this in me.


	4. Second Thoughts

Title: The End of a Savior Complex

Author: Dark Roswellian Angel

Elizabeth McDowell

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it. If I did, Alec would have been treated much better. In fact, if I owned "Dark Angel" I'd be treating him better right now instead of just writing about him ; P

Copying/Downloading/Posting: Please let me know first, and let me know where my work will be posted as I would love to come visit it. Make sure that it is put under my name, as I would love to hear how others feel about it. Thanks ;)

Rating: T

Synopsis: When Alec finds out that Max has been hurt, he reacts unexpectedly.

A/N: I've never tried writing this emotion before, so I don't know if I did a decent job. Hope you enjoy :)

A/N 2: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this so far. Thanks especially to CMT1992, p3karen, Myth87, darkaznangel452, Jabberwocky1, whatever95, PurpleSpinx, 452max, ConstantReader77, purplebunnywabbit, vintage.soul494, and ArjunaAnja for reviewing the last chapter. You guys totally rock :)

A/N 3: Just so's ya knows, I've altered some of the timeline to make this chapter make sense. So, if you notice it, please just take it in stride.

Last thing (I swear)- I need to make an apology. I reread my A/N at the end of the last chapter and realized that I may have put it the wrong way. My question was if people want me to have another physical altercation between Logan and Alec. My question was NOT whether people wanted me to continue or not- 'cause I don't hold that sort of thing over my readers' heads (you know, I'll only continue if you guys tell me how much you love me, otherwise I'm holding the rest of my story hostage- that sort of thing). Like I say on my profile page, I promise to finish any and every story that I start to post.

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4- Second Thoughts

_I can't even believe the gall of this guy. _Half an hour later, Alec was standing on the roof of the building overlooking Logan's penthouse. As soon as he'd reached the floor level of Logan's apartment building, he'd started questioning the wisdom of what he'd just done. He couldn't quite bring himself to regret doing it. Even though most of the time, he halfway liked the guy. But it had to be done, and he was glad that he was the one who got to do it. So, it wasn't like he was wishing that he hadn't done it. In fact, he had been right- the only thing that had finally helped him calm down had been wrapping his hands around the guy's throat.

No, the problem wasn't what he had done- it was what _she_ was going to do. Because after watching Logan regain consciousness and root around his apartment, Alec started really considering the ramifications of what he'd done. Ignoring the fact that the Ordinary had deserved it, and probably a lot worse, the fact was that it was highly unlikely that she was going to appreciate him threatening to kill her not-like-that boyfriend. And by the time the weasel got finished telling her the story, she was probably going to believe that he had actually tried to kill him. _As if. Buddy, if I wanted you dead, there's no way you'd be breathing right now._ Still, it wasn't like she had a long history of giving him the benefit of the doubt. And if anything other than the thought of her getting hurt could make him panic, it was the idea that she might boot him out of her life for real this time. For good.

_Ugh! It's so freaking-a wrong. We just finally started connecting for real. _That night in her apartment when she had finally opened up to him had done more than just answered some questions for him. It had made him finally realize what his feelings for her were. When he had watched her hurting over his brother, he hadn't been able to help himself. He'd had to gather her to him. And when he had felt her small body in his arms, and smelled her sweet scent, he had realized that this was a feeling he'd never had with another woman. Curiosity may have been as great a motivating factor as comforting her when he'd kissed the top of her soft head.

And that had been it for him- the great "aha" moment where he realized what she meant to him. When he realized that she had become his world and that he could bear losing everything else that he'd ever cared about except her. And ever since then, he'd been making a point of spending every moment he could with her, though sometimes he wondered just how sick his obsession with hurting himself was going to get. Or maybe hurting him was her obsession- after all, it had been her idea to make him into her faux boyfriend. Which made things just that much worse.

He'd never understood before just how bad it could be to want something until the rest of the world thought he had it when he didn't. Now, he was able to touch her and hold her and even on occasion kiss her, but he wasn't allowed to tell her how he felt. He was able to hold her hand, but he wasn't allowed to give her his heart. The only thing worse than not getting what he wanted more than anything else in the world was to be that close to it and know that she didn't even know he wanted her. To know that she didn't even look at him that way.

And so, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place- wanting to do anything she needed him to, and yet knowing that the more he did for her the more it would wind up hurting him. And for what may be the first time in his life, he was learning that there was something more important to him than what he wanted. Even with Rachel, it had still been him wanting her acceptance and the small, comfortable place in the world that she could give him. But with Max, it was different. With Max, no one had to ask what he would give up for her. Every time he went on a mission with her, every time she turned to him for help, every time she was hurting, the truth was borne to him. He would die for her. He would give up everything he had including his life to help her be happy.

So, that was why he'd lost it earlier. Because the thought of losing her had made him realize how close he'd come to losing the most important part of himself, and he hadn't been able to breathe or move or think rationally until his upbringing had caused him to swing into full half-animal-half-human, soldier-protecting-chosen-mate mode. _Ironic. My reaction to the thought of losing her may have just cost me a place in her life. _He chuckled humorlessly,_ I may have just lost her because I'm scared of losing her._ The thought sickened him as he watched the Ordinary who may very well carry the key to his future get into war-weathered Bessie and drive in the direction of his heart's owner.

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Short, I know. But (even though I'm on vacation) I promise to get the next chapter up during the next three days. I'm not sure when exactly- it'll depend on when I get access to a computer. But even if I have to stay up all night, I will succeed at getting onto a computer, and I will succeed in getting onto the Internet, and furthermore, I will succeed at getting the next chapter posted. Done deal. Period.


	5. No Need to Worry?

Title: The End of a Savior Complex

Author: Dark Roswellian Angel

Elizabeth McDowell

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it. If I did, Alec would have been treated much better. In fact, if I owned "Dark Angel" I'd be treating him better right now instead of just writing about him ; P

Copying/Downloading/Posting: Please let me know first, and let me know where my work will be posted as I would love to come visit it. Make sure that it is put under my name, as I would love to hear how others feel about it. Thanks ;)

Rating: T

Synopsis: When Alec finds out that Max has been hurt, he reacts unexpectedly.

A/N: I've never tried writing this emotion before, so I don't know if I did a decent job. Hope you enjoy :)

A/N 2: See? I promised I'd update within three days, and I am. In fact, I'm going to post the next chapter, too- because I don't want anyone mad at me for how short this chapter is also. It just had a stopping point, and I didn't want to force it.

Let me know what you think (please, pretty please with Jensen on top?)

* * *

No Need to Worry?

If Alec had known what was going on in the pompous Ordinary's head, he would have known that he had no need to worry. At least, not as far as Logan ratting him out to Max. As Logan walked into the girls' apartment, a smile played about his lips. Somehow between waking up on the floor and picking up his door, he'd come to a realization. While he'd been propping his door up the best he could before coming here, he'd come to the conclusion that he'd won. After all, wasn't that what Alec's visit had really meant- that the waste-of-science hybrid had finally gotten it through his thick-as-a-brick skull that he'd lost her. Although that implied that he'd ever actually had her. _Which he never really did,_ he thought as a territorial smile spread across his features.

Now that he thought about it, the poor guy had never really had a chance. She'd been hooked since the first time they'd met- it had just taken them both a while to realize it. Ever since she first learned how much he had to offer, how he could help her in her search for her family, how altruistic and noble his desires were, how he could help her become a better person than she'd ever imagined, he'd had her in the palm of his hand. _Where she belongs._ He looked around him with distaste- what a shame she had to live in such a bad area of town. He really didn't appreciate having to come into this neighborhood. But, one day he'd rescue her from this place, just as he had already rescued her moral character. And then he'd have her all to himself- _just as it should be._ His grin took on a possessive quality but he quickly wiped all trace of it off his face before entering the room she was sitting in. It wouldn't do for her to realize that he considered her his most interesting possession.


	6. In the Palm of His Hand

Title: The End of a Savior Complex

Author: Dark Roswellian Angel

Elizabeth McDowell

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it. If I did, Alec would have been treated much better. In fact, if I owned "Dark Angel" I'd be treating him better right now instead of just writing about him ; P

Copying/Downloading/Posting: Please let me know first, and let me know where my work will be posted as I would love to come visit it. Make sure that it is put under my name, as I would love to hear how others feel about it. Thanks ;)

Rating: T

Synopsis: When Alec finds out that Max has been hurt, he reacts unexpectedly.

A/N: And here is the second chapter- in one day, too :)

Let me know what you think (please, pretty please with chocolate-covered Jensen on top?)

* * *

In the Palm of His Hand

It was about 45 minutes later, and Logan was getting bored. He was still able to feel a slight buzz from his earlier combination of euphoria and adrenaline, but he was getting really tired of just sitting here watching his girlfriend's best friend treat her wounds. After all, it wasn't like they were even going to be bothering her in a couple of days- why worry so much about them now? Maybe if she were an Ordin-no, human- then he would have worried about infections setting in or something like that, but she was lucky enough to have been vaccinated by Manticore against pretty much everything and her stem cells weren't going to let her stay down for long. So, really, there was no reason for so much fuss. For what felt like the millionth time in the past ten minutes, he looked down at the thing he was fiddling with. _Really, I could be home working on mission details. I wonder just how much longer I should really hang around here before splitting._

As Original Cindy carefully placed a pillow under Max's wrapped ankle, she could hear her girl hiss in pain. _Damn, she is seriously screwed with. I wonder why the man couldn'ta just let Alec in on it a little- maybe Hot Boy really is onta somethin'. I'm gonna be pissed if it turns out that she's this bad off 'cause Mr. EO is all bent on savin' her so no one else gets the glory. _"Better?"

Max looked up at her friend and saw the worry in her eyes. _I wish they'd just leave me alone to heal. This is just so major awkward- I mean, I'm gonna be fine, well mostly, in a week or so. It's just weird to have someone else wrapping me up like this. _In an attempt to reassure her best friend, she answered, "Better. Thanks."

She looked back into her friend's eyes and could tell that she was fronting, and suddenly OC realized that Alec had been right. Max had needed help, and Alec could've given it to her, and damn if he hadn't proven time and time again that he was willin' to drop whatever was goin' on ta help her girl with whateva she needed help on. No way he wouldn'ta been willin' to get her outta that place, and he woulda been able to without raisin' a sweat. And more to the point- without her boo havin' to raise a sweat. She turned to the man and wondered if Alec's earlier behavior had accurately pointed to why the man had left him out of the loop. Her eyes narrowed as the suspicions that she'd had about Logan since before Max had even gone missing for those eternal months came back to her. In her own OC way she decided to prod, "I know you saved my girl and all, but couldn't you have brought her back in better condition than this?"

Max's eyes widened in shock. Here was her best friend actually calling her boyfriend to task for the _way_ he'd saved her. After all, it's not like anyone else had been willing to help her out, "O.C.!"

OC immediately turned towards her friend, feigned innocence in her eyes, "What? You have a hole in your stomach, you got a sprained ankle, coupla cracked ribs, not to mention all the cuts and bruises all over the damn place." She realized unhappily that Max had yet to come to any of the suspicions that she and Hot Boy had already agreed on. She looked over at the man in question. Not for the first time she wondered what it was about this guy that was so good at keepin' her boo's head spun so that she didn't see the truth preppin' to step up and slap her upside the head. She tried to keep the venom out of her voice as she spoke to him, hoping that her words might actually be able to open Max's eyes a little, "Do me a favor. CDC ever lock me down in quarantine, leave me there."

They all chuckled, though no one's laugh actually seemed sincere. Max couldn't help but wonder why the atmosphere was so tense. Was there something she was missing?

As Logan skillfully hid his reaction behind a falsely cheerful snicker, his own eyes narrowed as he looked down on the dark princess. She was one of his main nemeses- of all the people in Max's life, she was the one that seemed most capable of keeping Max at the level she was at instead of letting him raise her to a higher quality. Therefore, it was with no small amount of truthful intention that he responded, "Consider it done." _Without a second thought._

OC hadn't missed the malicious glare he'd sent her way, but for Max's benefit, she pretended to. Still, she couldn't help but respond with an obviously fake smile, "Just so long as we understand each other."

Noticing just how well the other two room occupants weren't getting along, Max attempted to switch the focus. "Hey, do we have any more of that soup left? I'm kinda hungry."

Her attention was immediately switched back to her friend, "I'll go heat some up for you." As she stood up, she looked back at the man who was still staring at her. She decided that from now on, she was going to agree with pretty much everything that Alec thought of this guy. _Besides, if I hafta spend one more minute around this self-centered, pious, self-reverencin', fake-spiky-haired, tryin'-ta-look-younger-n-he-is, thinkin'-he's-foolin'-someun, fool, I'm goin' ta lose my lunch, and that was some fine a-- grub. _Without another look, she went to the kitchen.

As soon as she was gone, Max's attention was back on Logan. She gave him a gentle smile, not knowing what to say. It had been so long since they'd been in the same room, except for when she'd been in the hospital, that she couldn't help feeling awkward. But she wanted to make the best of the moment- who knew when he'd come around again? She didn't want to waste this chance to talk to him. Especially since there were some really important things she wanted to say. But just as she was about to open her mouth, he stood up and started walking towards her and her breath caught in her throat. She knew that look- she'd seen it before. It was one of his you're-amazing, I-care-so-much-about-you, we're-destined-to-be-together looks. Her eyes warmed a little.

As soon as the irritating girl left the room, Logan had stood up. With every intention of walking over to Max's side, dropping next to her on the couch (well as close as he could), and reconfirming his feelings for her, he had begun his approach. He could tell from the look on her face that she was going to welcome it. But, just before he'd reached her, he'd flashed back to the look on Alec's face as he'd told him that she was better than he was and that one day she'd realize it. His eyes narrowed just a little as he assessed the possibility of her ever coming to the conclusion. _Better not risk it. If I keep her guessing and wanting more, then her mind will never go in that inaccurate direction. _So he quickly drew himself up to a stop and smiled ingratiatingly at her, "Well, looks like you're in pretty good hands."

Max couldn't help the feeling of rejection that hit her once more as she realized that she had been wrong about him coming over to her. The feeling quickly turned to confusion as she wondered if he had just smiled for a second there at her pain-filled reaction. In a small voice, she said, "Looks like." For a second, she just looked at him wondering what was going on in his head.

Logan tried to hide a second smile at how lost she sounded. And needy. And whiny. And vulnerable. After all, he was sure he'd been too quick for her to notice his smile at her initial reaction, but he wasn't sure if he'd be quick enough the second time. _Better take no chances._ After all, this day was just turning out better and better for him. First, Alec had proven that he had her right where he wanted her_,_ and now she was proving how much she wanted and needed him. Just as soon as she was up and about- _ah, give her 36 hours or so, 48 if I'm feeling especially generous_, he could start calling her on their next EO mission. And after the way he'd rescued her, risking his own life and limb, he was sure she wouldn't try to get out of it for at least a few months. He realized that he was in danger of letting out another smile and decided that he'd better get going- after all, if she was going to be running missions for him nonstop, he wanted to have a nice long list of missions for her to accomplish. "I got some Eyes Only stuff that I gotta take care of, so..."

_No way. Is that really his I'm-going-to-ask-you, no strike that _guilt_-you-into-a-mission-within-the-next-36-hours-look? I've just been shot and beaten up twice. There's no way I'm getting off this couch for at least a couple of days. _Still, she wished he would stay for a while. She really, really needed to talk to him- whether he wanted to hear it or not. "Hey."

As he heard the needy tone in her voice, he couldn't help but smile. He turned back to her- so maybe he was willing to listen to her tell him how much she cared about him and needed him and… "What?"

Suddenly, she wasn't so willing to talk. Maybe it was because of the fact that OC was just in the next room and what she wanted to say was private. Maybe it was because those words were going to be so very, very hard for her to get out of her mouth. Maybe because of how much emotion was rushing up into her throat as she thought about what she wanted to say. Maybe it was because of what she was pretty sure his reaction would be. Whatever it was, Max could feel herself chickening out, "Thanks. For..." she gracefully gestured towards her ankle, "...you know." She smiled gratefully up at him.

Logan waited for a couple of seconds before smiling encouragingly at her. Maybe she needed more prompting to continue, "Yeah." _Wait, so that's it? Whatever._ "Take care of yourself, Max." He might have started doubting himself- might have even brought up what Alec had done to him- if he hadn't seen her smile fade as he turned around to leave. As he opened and closed her door, he couldn't help the smile, _Yep, I've got her right where I want her._


	7. Girl Talk

Title: The End of a Savior Complex

Author: Dark Roswellian Angel

Elizabeth McDowell

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it. If I did, Alec would have been treated much better. In fact, if I owned "Dark Angel" I'd be treating him better right now instead of just writing about him ; P

Copying/Downloading/Posting: Please let me know first, and let me know where my work will be posted as I would love to come visit it. Make sure that it is put under my name, as I would love to hear how others feel about it. Thanks ;)

Rating: T

Synopsis: When Alec finds out that Max has been hurt, he reacts unexpectedly.

A/N: I know it's been a while, but I'm still getting back into this so this chapter is kind of short

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Girl Talk

As she heard the door click shut, OC came back out of the kitchen. She looked at her girl and noticed the unhappy look in the brunette's eyes. Trying to hide her sigh- whether because of her relief that the man was gone or because she couldn't help but wonder how much longer it was going to take the beauty to realize that things might not be so up-and-up with the guy, she wasn't sure, "So things are still weird between you and Logan?"

_Isn't that the story of my life?_ Max sighed, "Yeah, I guess." She just wished things didn't have to be so confusing.

OC refrained from rolling her eyes. Her shugg was so clearly hung up on the wrong guy it pained her ta watch. For half a second, she considered tryin' ta talk some sense inta the girl, but realized that it might be bettuh for her to wait until the girl could at least walk for that kind of converse. Still, she hated seein' her gurl hurtin'- she wanted to reassure her, and there were some things that she could say that were still truthful, "Man still loves you, you know." _In his own way, anyway. Mind yous not in any way what I might be interested in gettin' myself involved in with nobody. But still, I guess if it blows your whistles and all. _"Risked his a** to save your life."

With another sigh, Max nodded her head, "Yeah."

OC couldn't help but be confused. Shouldn't Max be happy with the idea of Logan being in love with her? Or was she still worried about the virus? Now that the idea of makin' her happy had gotten into her head, OC decided to try again, "Wasn't for him, the CDC would have their hands on a real live transgenic. Now all they got's a few funky lab results." _Course the truth o' the matter is that they almost got they's hands on you 'cause o' him, but I ain't gonna go nowheres near that for now._ As she watched her friend's expression darken, she wondered if maybe Max had actually begun to clue in to how Logan had actually messed things up.

"And a whole lot of questions. They're gonna want answers, and I got a feeling they won't stop until they get them. We can't hide forever. Sooner or later, we're gonna run out of luck... and I don't even want to think about what'll happen then." Max couldn't stand the idea of what this could mean to them- all of them. If it weren't bad enough that she was responsible for letting them all out into the world, now she could be the reason that everybody caught on to them. All she'd wanted to do was help- help her family, her brothers and sisters, help that kid- and all she'd managed to do was mess things up worse. Her thoughts were broken off by a strange noise. "Did you hear that?" She looked over to her friend, but OC's thoughts seemed to be elsewhere.


End file.
